Living with Moore's Law

Moore's Law is the most important and most misunderstood fact of our lives. It has been changing how we work and live for 50 years, and its impact continues to accelerate. It began as a way to explain what might happen to silicon circuits, but has extended in all directions to reach every corner of society. Dana Blankenhorn has been following it since its first appearance at his dad's TV repair shop, through the development of PCs and the Internet, and has used it to peer into the future with some success. Moore's Law has made brains the gating factor to economic growth. It has given us a chance to stem the force of climate change without war and without poverty. Over the next decade it will end the reign of oil, automate all our machines and business processes, and point the way toward treating DNA as a programming language. Once you understand where we are, how we got here, and where we're going, you will be empowered to make the most of the opportunities Moore's Law holds. You will also clearly see how its byproducts, monopoly, the concentration of wealth, and ethical ignorance must be fought and conquered if mankind is to survive the 21st century. This is the journey of your life, whether you know it or not. Isn't it time you understood it?

Moore's Law is the most important and most misunderstood fact of our lives. It has been changing how we work and live for 50 years, and its impact continues to accelerate. It began as a way to explain what might happen to silicon circuits, but has extended in all directions to reach every corner of society. Dana Blankenhorn has been following it since its first appearance at his dad's TV repair shop, through the development of PCs and the Internet, and has used it to peer into the future with some success. Moore's Law has made brains the gating factor to economic growth. It has given us a chance to stem the force of climate change without war and without poverty. Over the next decade it will end the reign of oil, automate all our machines and business processes, and point the way toward treating DNA as a programming language. Once you understand where we are, how we got here, and where we're going, you will be empowered to make the most of the opportunities Moore's Law holds. You will also clearly see how its byproducts, monopoly, the concentration of wealth, and ethical ignorance must be fought and conquered if mankind is to survive the 21st century. This is the journey of your life, whether you know it or not. Isn't it time you understood it?